


What the Future Holds

by AssassinorActressWhoKnows



Series: The Fire Empire [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - The Fire Nation Won, Angry Zuko (Avatar), Arguing, Concubine, Emotionally unstable, F/M, Fighting Couple, Let Them Sleep, Master/Slave, Mentioned Mai, Mentioned Uncle Iroh, POV Katara (Avatar), POV Zuko, Phoenix King Ozai, Sapphire Fire, Soft Zuko (Avatar), They’ve both had long days, fire prince zuko, manipulative Katara, part of a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:27:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssassinorActressWhoKnows/pseuds/AssassinorActressWhoKnows
Summary: Zuko reflects on everything that transpired that day.Katara refuses to come to terms with the fact that Zuko wants her to travel to the colonies with him.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Fire Empire [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591687
Comments: 19
Kudos: 56





	1. Zuko’s Lament

**Author's Note:**

> Need to read the fic before this one for ✨context✨
> 
> Hello loves, hope everyone is surviving right now💙. 
> 
> *tags have been edited- I know how weak Zuko’s POV chapter is, I tried but his voice doesn’t come naturally to me. Power through to chapter 2 cuz we get back to Katara and things get interesting.

Zuko knew everything couldn’t last. The spirits hated him, only wanted to torment him. That was the only thing that made sense, despite his uncle’s words against the theory. But why else would he be so close to losing everything he worked for, losing _his_ crown, after finally gaining happiness. True happiness, from Katara. His Katara. _My Sapphire._ And now he was gonna lose it all, lose her-

“No!” A flamed hand shot out and hit the wall of his study. Zuko stood there, holding the letter Mai sent him, breathing in and out. _After everything that’s happened… I can’t lose her too. I won’t._

He crumpled the letter in his hand before burning it, Mai’s warning playing through his head as he went back to his chambers. 

He thought of his Uncle’s after he stormed into his rooms, interrupting _their_ conversation. _My beautiful sapphire…_ Zuko’s frantic thoughts of what might await him in the Earth Colonies halted to frantic thoughts of Katara. As he got closer and closer to his chambers his mind raced with taking comfort in his concubine; holding her, kissing her, her tight heat as the two lay together. Her gentle nature and soothing tones. _Her._ He knew there was still so much of Katara he didn’t know- _perhaps,_ he thought, _traveling with me and returning to her homeland will be the push she needs to fully trust in me. Maybe I can confide in her too._

The prince entered his bedchamber to the picture of Katara, in only a silk robe, asleep on his bed with an open scroll next to her. He walked to her, picking up the scroll to put it away. As he headed towards his desk, Zuko glanced at the title to see what his consort had chosen. ‘ _The Tale of Oma and Shu: and Other Colony Legends’. Not quite what I had in mind,_ he thought, _but close enough… maybe these are stories she was told as a child._

Zuko looked at the sleeping girl once more, before finally taking off his training clothes and taking a cloth and fresh water to his skin, cleansing himself roughly of his day. All he had wanted was to have a day with his uncle and his Sapphire. The spirits couldn’t even let him have that, could they?

The prince put on his own robe before heading towards his bed. Between vigorous training with Uncle and learning he might truly be losing his place as heir to the Phoenix throne, Zuko deserved an afternoon nap with his Sapphire. Later. They could talk about the journey later. For now, nothing existed except for the two of them. He joined her on the bed, bringing her body to his as he closed his eyes, matching her breath with his own. 


	2. Everything Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara can’t go back to the colonies. She won’t. And she’ll try whatever she can to make sure she doesn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I have no idea how this chapter happened, but it did, and boy is it spicy. Back to Katara’s POV and I may just stick with it cuz that just feels more natural to me 
> 
> So... small trigger warning? This entire series kinda feels like a trigger warning but just in case: there’s a little bit of descriptive sexy times, there’s fighting/arguing, unhealthy dynamics

When Katara woke up, it was to a darkened room and arms wrapped tightly around her. A whimpered breath behind her had Katara twisting out of the prince’s grasp before heading to the chamber door, tightening her robe so that she might be presentable. After requesting meals from the guard, the waterbender walked carefully back to the bed, the mattress dipping with her weight as she settled close to Zuko once more. Her fingers traced his face as she reflected on what little she overheard between him and his uncle. The fact that he expected her to travel with him back to the colonies.  _ I can’t go. I need to get out of this somehow.  _

She leaned down and pressed her lips to his, in an attempt to wake him up before their food arrived. An attempt that didn’t pan out well for her when his hand suddenly went for her throat and she was flipped over. 

“Katara?”

The two stared at each other as Zuko took in what had just occurred, sleep still in his eyes as he looked from her- to the bed- to his hand held loosely around her throat. 

“Your Majesty.”

He thumbed at her pulse point, feeling the waterbender’s heart rate spike. Katara stayed splayed beneath the prince, letting him continue with his ministrations as shivers went down her spine. 

They were interrupted by knocking at the door and suddenly Katara was pinned by only the firebender’s stare.

“I um, I ordered us food.”

“Stay.” Was all he said in response as he walked away. Katara stared up at the ceiling, catching her breath, listening as the prince received what she had asked for- his footsteps light as he walked back.

Zuko returned to the bed, placing the tray of food towards the foot of it before joining Katara once more. For a moment, the waterbender was taken aback by the sheer size of the prince’s bed, thinking back to the cots she had used in her previous life  _ in those moments I was lucky enough to have a cot at all. _ Until Zuko crawled back to her and she was once again drawn into the man above her.

He leaned down, pressing his lips against her neck, nibbling her ear before murmuring, “I’m lucky to have such a thoughtful girl like you taking care of me. You surprised me with all of my favorite foods and tried to wake me up in such a sweet way.” Katara moaned as his lips traced her skin.

“I jus- just thought you’d be hungry. You forget to eat when you’re stressed.” Katara watched as he loomed over her once more, forcing eye contact as he held himself over her.

“Trust me, my Sapphire, I’m  _ starving _ ,” he growled before his lips traveled down her body, opening her robes and lifting her legs over his shoulders. 

“Then maybe we should eat,” was all she could think of to say, everything that had happened that day combined with the prince’s overwhelming presence turning her mind to mush. 

“I am,” he smirked. He lowered his head and tasted her, his tongue making her moan as it slipped between her folds. 

“Zuko,” she whined as he continued. The waterbender’s thighs squeezed around the prince as she lifted to meet him. She laid there, taking the pleasure he gave, up until her stomach growled at the scent of the food on the bed with them. Her cheeks flushed and she groaned as he lifted off of her, chuckling. 

“Guess it is time for us both to eat.” Zuko reached back and pushed the tray up the bed until it was next to them. He stayed where he was as Katara looked at the meals before them.

“You’re not going to be able to eat soup while I eat you out are you?” He asked jokingly.

“Not unless you want me spilling it on both of us,” she replied cheekily. He bent down once more to nibble on  _ that  _ spot that made her spine arch, before quickly sitting up into a lotus position and grabbing a dish.

“What’s taking so long, Katara?” He teased, picking up his chopsticks and taking a bite of his Komodo chicken. She whimpered in response to his words, trying to pull herself back together so she could sit up and eat her damned soup. He laughed at her, a low, throaty sound, as she finally sat up.

“You’re cruel.” Was all she said as she grabbed her sea soup and spoon. She carefully raised a foot while they both sat there, eating. “You know if you wanted, I could-” she pressed down gently against his lap and he grabbed her foot.

“I don’t want. Not right now, Sapphire.” Was all he said. He released her foot and she returned to her own lotus position. He stared at her as they sat and ate.

“Would you like to talk about what happened earlier, your majesty?” 

“Do you mean when I had my hand around your throat?”

“I meant when you joined your uncle and I with a letter in hand and asked me to leave.” She grabbed a cherry from the tray and plopped it in her mouth as she waited for his response. 

“We should probably talk about the choking thing… shouldn’t we?” He challenged, the shock of the moment returned to Katara as he continued.

“You’re deflecting, Zuko.” Was all she said as she continued to eat. 

“I need to apologize to you. You never should have been in that position. I could have hurt you.”

“Zuko you’re…” she stopped her attempt to get them back on track. “Personally I… didn’t… dislike it. Maybe I was just in shock but I liked how it felt.”

“Like I was going to kill you?” He raised an eyebrow at her statement. “I didn’t realize it was you when I grabbed you. I could have hurt you. Greatly. Do you understand that? What if my instinct wasn’t to pin you down? What if I had firebent at you.” He said, sternly. “You aren’t a bender, Katara, you couldn’t have defended yourself.” 

Katara refused to hold eye contact as he scolded her. “I’m sorry,” was all she said as she looked at her bowl. 

“Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry. You just need to understand the difference between what we’ve done while laying together and something that could cause you harm.” 

“Yes, your majesty,” she paused, “is that why you didn’t want me to touch you?” 

“No it’s not, it’s…”

“Whatever was in the letter?” She finished, finally looking back up at him.

“I have a lot to think about.” He said simply. 

“Will you tell me what happened?” She asked, placing her bowl on the tray, then grabbing his own plate and setting it down as well. She grabbed the cherries and sat in his lap, holding a cherry to his lips. He took it in his mouth, seemingly reflecting as he chewed. Katara simply sat, eating a cherry of her own, as he thought.

“Cherries are my sister’s favorite fruit too. I got her obsessed with them when we were children.” He opened lips and she placed another bite between them. 

“Your sister? You don’t talk about her a lot.”

“No I wouldn’t.” He said simply. “Things used to be different, when we were young, but now…”

“Now?” She placed another cherry in his mouth as he hesitated. Katara sat there, waiting, trying to figure out what was going on- how she could get out of going to the colonies.

“Now I am needed in the colonies.”

“For your sister?”

“Because of her. She’s trying to take it, Katara.”

“Take what?”

“Everything! Everything I have worked towards for a decade,” he burst out. “My place in the empire, my throne, every country I would control and take care of. I’m about to lose them all, because of her.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Travel to the colonies, reconnect with the people, the lords. Speak to my father.” Katara’s heart stilled st the casual mention of the Phoenix King.  _ Zuko is… he’s in line to rule… the entire world…  _

“How long will you be gone?” She asked him.

“We’ll be gone for months, at least.” He responded. 

“Months? What will the nation do without you or your uncle for months?”

“Uncle will be staying here, my sapphire,” he said with a strange look on his face. 

“Oh, of course he will be. That makes a lot of sense. I guess I was just confused because you said we,” Katara tried for casual. Subtlety even. In hindsight she wasn’t successful in the slightest. “Do you mean you and the crew? When will you all be leaving?” 

“Katara,” he took the bowl from her and set it down. “My sapphire,” he held her face in his hand, brushing her lip with his thumb. “The jewel of the Fire Empire. You will be coming with me.” He stated.

“Are you… sure… that’s for the best?” She replied slowly as he traced her face.

“Why wouldn’t it be, Sapphire?” He challenged, golden eyes pinning her where she was, not letting her so much as blink, much less look away. 

“I umm, it’s just that, I’m… I’m not royal, I’m not fire nation, much less a firebender.” She struggled to get out her weak excuse. “Wouldn’t I make you look weak?”

“Katara, a single concubine being of a certain descent does not make me look weak. The people know that I will take more; if anything this will give the lords the opportunity to try to make me offers of their daughters’ hands- not that I will be taking them,” he added quickly. She was trapped there, in his lap, with only sleep robes between them, trying and failing to figure out how to get out of this.  _ Come on, Katara, think.  _

“So you want me to go so that you’ll get more offers of women to keep? That’s incredibly rude, your majesty. Should I walk around in only my under things so the girls know what type of body they need to look better than? Why don’t I-”

“Katara, enough.” He said with finality, his stare somehow both cold and burning.

“Enough what?” She pushed, throwing the bowl of cherries to the floor. “Talking back to you? Speaking? If I’m only a body to you, you shouldn’t lie to me about it, your majesty.”

He suddenly grabbed her by the jaw, holding her tightly. 

“Sapphire.” He gritted out. “Stop. Trying. To. Make. Me. Angry.” 

Katara stared at the prince, his golden eyes burning into her as she squirmed in his lap. A small  _ please  _ was all she could manage to get out as he held her.

“Is this what the staff whisper about, my sapphire? Your little episodes that you hide so well from me? When the guards hear you scream and the servants clean up what little you couldn’t manage for yourself?” He nosed against her jaw and tears began to form in the waterbender’s eyes. “Did you think I didn’t know? Don’t worry, I’m not upset about it. They whispered about me too. Scorch marks and burnt furniture are harder to clean up than shards of glass and spilt water, my sapphire.”

Katara was still as he held her, barely breathing as tears ran down her face.

“Please don’t make me go back.” She whimpered. The prince let go of her jaw to wipe the tears from her face and she wilted, tucking into herself. “I haven’t been there since… since…” she couldn’t manage to finish her sentence, only able to add a small. “Please don’t make me go back, Zuko.” 

He hugged her and Katara held onto him tightly.

“Katara, my sapphire, neither of us have a choice. I need you with me.” Katara sobbed against the prince as he continued to speak. “I don’t want to do this either. I don’t want to go back. But I don’t have a choice and I need you with me.”

“Please-”

“We’ll be leaving the palace in two days. We’ll make a trip out of it. Visit some islands while the ship is getting stocked up.”

“I don’t wan-”

“Hush, Katara. I already told you. You don’t have a choice. Neither of us do. There isn’t any point in crying over this anymore. You’re going and that’s final.” Katara stopped crying and grew tense in his arms. What had started as a cheap attempt to rile the prince up quickly turned into her own anger rising at his refusal to listen to her.  _ What else could you have expected, Katara, that he actually cared about how you feel? You stupid little girl, always playing pretend, always stuck in your own little fantasy. Let’s end the fantasy then…  _

“Yes, Master. You are wise, Master.” She said stiffly. The prince let go of her and she moved out of his lap, positioning herself bowed on her knees in front of him. 

“Katara, what are you doing?” He asked carefully.

“Forgive me, your esteemed majesty. There is no Katara here. I am Sapphire and I’m here only to serve your every wish.” The waterbender wished she could see his reaction to her words, could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.  _ If I were a firebender I’d have burned everything in here by now. _

“Katara quit playing games.”

“Of course, Master. Straight to the point then?” Katara quickly disrobed and tossed it somewhere near where the cherries had landed. “I am still wet from your earlier kindness, your esteemed majesty. No need to worry about your pain upon entering me. How would you like me?” 

“Get out.”

“Master?” She looked up then, to see the prince glaring at her.

“I want you back in your chambers. Now.”

“Your Majesty, I’m only trying to-” the prince grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the bed. He pulled her night robe onto her as he spoke.

“I am taking you to your chambers. You are not going to speak to me, you are not going to so much as look at me, unless the words coming out of your mouth are  _ I’m sorry _ . And not like,” he finished tyingthe robe, pulling tightly against the sash before taking her bicep and walking, “that disgusting display you just gave me. An actual apology that I, as your lover, deserve. Open the doors!” He called out to his guards and the doors of his chambers and entry hall opened. He stormed out holding her arm tightly. Too tightly. Katara looked towards the guards but they refused to look her in the eyes.  _ Are you angry, Zuko? Good.  _

Katara’s anger faded the more and more servants who witnessed them. Couldn’t even imagine what whispers would go around the palace about her and the prince. Eventually they reached her chambers, the guards opening and closing the doors without a single word needing to be said. He let go of her, practically throwing her at her loveseat. Katara stumbled towards the furniture, watching Zuko as he ran his hand through his hair, breathing deeply. 

“Anything to say to me, Sapphire?” 

All Katara could do was stare at the angry firebenderq. Her own anger lowered, Katara began to feel fear at her situation.  _ There was probably a better way of doing this… but if he gets angry enough he won’t want to take me. ‘He won’t want you at all, foolish girl’.  _ The silence rang around the two as they stared at each other.

“Fine, then. If this is how it’s going to be. You want to behave like a child, you’ll be punished like one. Maybe this time alone will help you remember your place.”

“I did remember my place, Zuko.” She said without thinking, digging herself further into her own grave. “I am your concubine. You are my master. If that upsets you your majesty-”

“You’ll stay in here until we’re ready to depart.” Katara glared at the prince and he chuckled darkly. “Sorry to disappoint you, Sapphire, but you haven’t gotten out of going. You’ll take your meals in here, you’ll sleep in here, all by yourself until we leave.”

“Fine, then leave me alone!” She exclaimed as she turned her back to him, hands shaking at the prince’s audacity.

“Fine!” He yelled back, slamming the door behind him. Katara screamed, overwhelmed by everything that had just happened.  _ And you still have to go. Looks like all of that was for nothing.  _ Katara started laughing at the ridiculousness that just occurred, that her future would hold for her.  _ Guess you’ll find out soon enough if you’re still a wanted criminal. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👀👀👀 
> 
> Well this is gonna get interesting for them... 
> 
> Katara’s a Cancer Sun, can confirm.


End file.
